EliteBook x360 review: secure, tiny business convertible

HP's EliteBook x360 1030 G3 is a premium business
convertible laptop. It's the kind of upmarket laptop a big
company employer might hand you if they think you need
portability and flexibility.

You might choose it yourself.
It is a solid, no-nonsense choice with all the features a
business user needs, although a touch expensive by 2018
standards.

While you can get more grunt and graphics for
the same money or less elsewhere, you won't get them in such
a compact package and with such a quality feel. HP
added security features to the business laptop that,
depending on how you work, could tip the balance.

At first
glance the Elitebook x360 looks like a tiny conventional
clamshell laptop. It opens to show a full size keyboard and
screen.

Convertible

The Elitebook
x360 is a
convertible. Its 360 hinge means you can open it right
up, then fold the screen under the keyboard to give you a
tablet. It can also work in what HP calls tent mode
to watch video or propped up on a flat service to give
personal presentations.

HP says you can get "up to" 18
hours of battery life. Computer maker battery life estimates
are often exaggerated. Even so, you can expect to keep
going for the longest of work days.

In testing I found you
can get almost nine hours of constant use from the battery.
If you take breaks away from the screen it should more than
last all day.

As you'd expect the Elitebook x360 is small
and light. Yet, at 1.25 kg it feels a shade heavier than it
looks.

Build quality

Some of this heft is
down to the build quality. The Elitebook x360 has a solid
milled aluminium case. This computer feels like it is ready
for you to carry it from place to place. I'd be a little
concerned working on an industrial site, but it is more than
robust enough for everyday business use.

It's not the
best-looking laptop, at least to my eyes, but it is far from
embarassing.

HP describes it as the world's smallest
business convertible. That's a specific claim and, to
my knowledge it is true. At only 15mm deep, the Elitebook
x360 is a fraction thicker than the MacBook,
but Apple's laptop doesn't covert into a tablet.

The
screen measures 13.3 inches across the diagonal. Resolution
on the review model is 1920 by 1080 pixels, there is also a
3840 by 2160 version.

Privacy

The computer
comes with Sureview: an integrated privacy filter. When you
hit the F2 button, the viewing angles of the screen at
reduced so that anyone looking at the display from over your
shoulder or the next airplane seat can't read anything.

HP
says this kicks in at 40 degrees. That's hard to check. Yet
it works as promised. Sureview isn't for everyone, but is
ideal if you work on private reports in busy places.

On
the downside, Sureview dims the screen and makes it harder
to read. It makes colours duller. I struggled a little with
it trying to read the display head-on if text was in
anything other than black on white.

You wouldn't want to
have Sureview switched on all the
time.

Keyboard

HP has gone for a decent
quality backlit keyboard. I found it easy to type. There's
little flexing. Otherwise it's not remarkable one way or the
other. If anything it reminds me of the MacBook Air.

The
up and down directional keys look squashed. In practice they
are not a problem. The touchpad is a good size and
responsive. It works better than I've seen on some rival
Windows computers.

Beneath the keyboard is a tiny
fingerprint reader for another layer of security. You can
use this to log-in, but the Elitebook x360 does a great job
with Windows Hello. Its face recognition was close to
flawless during testing.

HP has simplified the ports on
the 2018 Elitebook x360. You now get two USB-C ports. One of
these is used for charging. There is also an HDMI and a
Thunderbolt 3 port. There's no Ethernet port, although that
would make the case thicker.

HP EliteBook x360
verdict

Prices start at around NZ$2,800. That money
gets you a model with an Intel Core i5 processor along with
a graphics processor, 8 GB ram and 256 GB storage. That
lessw expensive models support 1920x1080 graphics.

Pay
around NZ$4000 and you'll get a version with 16 GB ram, 512
GB storage and 3840x2160 pixel resolution. According to the
HP web site, these prices include a three year warranty for
all models. That alone is worth hundreds of
dollars.

The HP EliteBook x360 is a good choice, but you
can get a better deal.

If you're not interested in the
security features, then you might do better looking
elsewhere. There are less expensive models in the HP range
that almost match the x360 on features. You can expect more
raw power, better graphics and longer battery life when
spending the same amount money. But if you'd prefer to stay
safe from prying eyes, the EliteBook x360 1030 G3 makes a
lot of sense.

Contact Bill Bennett

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